142 leaves : 277 x 208 (208 x 160) mm bound to 29 cm

Anonymous French translation of the Meditationes vitae Christi believed to be by a Franciscan, formerly attributed to St. Bonaventure and sometimes to Giacomo da Sancto Geminiano (cf. Falvey and Toth "L'autore e la trasmissione delle Meditationes Vitae Christi in base a manoscritti volgari italiani")

Ms. codex

In French

Title from opening rubric

Secundo folio: Du sacrement du corps..

Collation: Paper, with watermarks: scales, similar to Briquet 2426 ; fol. i + 142 + i ; 1³, 2-18⁸, 9³; Catchwords in red frame, lower center of final verso of each quire. Original Roman foliation, upper right corner of each recto, begins with [i] on f. 4, so reaches cxxxix instead of 142; modern pencil foliation, upper outer corner of each page, used here for reference.

Layout: One column, 32 lines. Boundings and writing lines ruled in blind

Script: Written in a batarde script in brown ink with red rubrics

Decoration: Chapters and books begin with 2-line red epigraphic capitals; Biblical quotes underlined red, sentence initials stroked red

Binding: 19th-century green morocco over pasteboard; blind double-fillet border on covers, gilt-fillet turn-ins and board edges, spine gilt in compartments, with title labels "VIE/ JHESVCRIST/mMS. 1454"; brittle paper pastedowns and endleaves, joints weakening

Origin: Written in N. France or Flanders in 1454

Provenance: Owned soon after creation by Andre Ryneck, his arms in the lower margin of f. 4 (a ram on red ground surmounted by a Catherine wheel and a cross). Given by Ryneck to a community of Poor Clares in 1481, donation inscription on f. 3v: "Donne au nouviau convent des povres soers de sainte clare de par monsiegneur andreu de rineck lan mille cccclxxxi prijes pour ly." "New" convents of Poor Clares in Northern France around 1481 - possible beneficiaries of this gift - include Chauny (1480) and Lilles (1481). Owned by Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Barrois (1784-1855), his 1849 sale (n. 369) to Bertram, the Fourth Earl of Ashburnham (1797-1878); Ashburnham sale, Sotheby's London, 10 June 1901, lot 604 (lot number written inside front cover; Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts 9505)

Immediate source of acquisition: Acquired by Sydney Cockerell for the Boston Public Library (BPL bookplate inside front cover, embossed on ff. 1-2, Cockerell's notes inside front cover; Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts 198000)

Call number: MS f Med. 29

Former call number: G. 31.72

Bibliography: Z. Haraszti, "Medieval Manuscripts in The Library," in More Books III (1928), 69

Consult curatorial file for further information

fol. 1-3v: Chapter headings

ff. 4-142v: Vie de Jhesucrist

cataloged 20180620

condition reviewed 20180822

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